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Documentary. Belgium. English.
La Vie en Chantant is a story abouth the Belgium brown café Les Olivettes, where the
common folk gets the opportunity to sing and perform, just to feel like a star for a short
while.
La vie en chantant is a documentary about the singers of Les Olivettes, the
café-chantant in Liège, Belgium. You wont find professional artists
performing here, but regular customers. Here they can be stars for a short while and find
the recognition they so sorely desire.On entering
the café one early Sunday morning Les Olivettes is already packed. Les Olivettes is an
old brown café that has not been renovated since the First World War. The many visitors
come here not only for the beer and the wine, but especially for the singing. There is
endless singing; opportunities for all kinds of regulars to air the soprano, alto, tenor,
baritone or bass voice within them. How they sing! The whole French repertoire is
reviewed, especially Brel, Bécaud, Brassens, Montand and Piaf. Some of the singers have
even obtained such illustrious nicknames as The girl from Paris, The tiny waist with the
great talent, Rudolph Valentino from Liège and The sonorous voice of Clermont sur
Bervinne. So also the 83 year old Stéphanie, known as La petite maman des Olivettes. Each
Sunday afternoon, her son takes her by car from Seraing to Les Olivettes in Liège where
she demonstrates her talent. As a child everyone thought that Stéphanie would have a
great future as a singer, but due to the death of her aunt, an opera singer who died on
the stage, her father thwarted her singing career. The charming baron Francis also comes
to Les Olivettes each Sunday to mingle with the common folk. According to Madame Pipi,
Francis is a good acquaintance of the Belgian Royal family. Madame Pipi is the weekend
lavatory attendant who mans her post in the cellar and supplies us with the necessary
commentary on the singers. The life of the Les Olivettes managers, the family Roka,
is also inextricably tied to that of the café. Denise and Emile Roka met at Les Olivettes
and subsequently got engaged and married there. For the singers, as for the Rokas,
the same thing applies: Les Olivettes gives them a reason for living.
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